Pass of Thermopylae & Battlefield Page 1

Thermo-pylae (Hot springs or pillars) is one of the most famous battlefields in the western world.

I get asked this all the time: Even so, is it worth a special trip just to walk the hallowed ground?

No its not for the average Joe or Josephene, but if passing through, definately Yes! If you want to rent a car and combine Thermopylae with Thebes or Mt. Pillion or any other excursion you can think of then do it! Near by are Ancient Gla and Battlefield of Chaironeia to name just a few) see Roumeli

Every school child has rapturously listened to the famous and thrilling story of sacrifice, honor and heroism epitomized by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans warriors and to a lesser extent their 700 Thespian allies. All of whom knowingly sacrificed their lives, while holding the pass and fighting back the evil Persians in their unsuccessful attempt to invade-enslave Greece in 480 BC.

Above right: the monument inaugurated in 1955 by King Paul of Greece to commemorate the 300 Spartans and erected at American expense. The burial mound is across the road and the monument to the 700 Thespians (pic left) just to the left of the monument itself and added apparently as an afterthought as its not incorporated into a cohesive design and is, in my opinion, an insipid edifice.

Once again, Thermopylae can be and is spelled a couple of different ways: Themopylae vs. Themopylai vs. Thermopyli vs.Thermopiles. Herodotus spells it: Thermopylae so that's how I am spelling it, at least for now. The sign below spells it Thermo-pylai ( Hot Pillars).